Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Mandy McMath

We were all gathered at the beautiful little church at Aberffraw for a very sad reason, the funeral of a much loved and admired friend and colleague, Mandy McMath. The church was packed, and I’m sure many of us reflected that our passing would be unlikely to draw such a crowd. People had travelled a long way to pay their last respects, and it was telling to appreciate how much Mandy had meant to several different circles of people – family, colleagues, the wider world of marine biology, and, significantly, the local community of Aberffraw. Those of us who knew of her passion for marine mammals learnt about her passion for gardening; this was well known to people in Aberffraw, but they may not have known how much she had achieved in her professional life.

Such occasions can be morbid, but despite the suddenness of her death at the very early age of 57, which was shocking, Mandy’s own attitude to life and to her illness, the way the service was conducted and the warmth of the tributes made, buoyed us all up. This was a gathering which we would not forget easily. I took away the thought that we should value each other more.

James Robertson

You can read about Mandy McMath’s life and achievements by clicking here

Here is some recent footage of Mandy introducing Iolo to the seals around Bardsey: